.:After the Battle:. (1x1) (Locked, DON'T DELETE)

[Cloudsong]

~

"You are only young once, but you can stay immature indefinitely."

The story of the children that grew up together, though far away, as life caused them to drift apart due to their status. On their own paths, some worked hard to be accepted into society, while others spent their days training for battle. It doesn't matter what you do; in the end, your blood is the most important thing.





After the Silent Battle, as it was called, everything changed. It was then that Elton Starr rode out and saved Kateliana, the love of his life. Sacrificing his life, he knew that it would be the only way for the city, and her to stay safe. When she returned that night alone, the army that was prepared for the war that they would gladly die for, was informed that it would never come. Along with the death of Sergio came peace, and Persephone fled, her vengeance having been complete. Kateliana, being devastated by the death of Elton, didn't speak to anyone in the kingdom for many years, and her children were raised mostly by Alexander, who was now married to Noel. For this matter, Daelen expected to one day become king. His hopes were crushed, however, with the arrival of their daughter, who would inherit the throne.

~

Post 1: Intro
Post 2: Characters
Post 3: My Characters

[Cloudsong]

Royal Family
Alexander de'Borgia [♂]
Kateliana de'Borgia [♀]
Noel Hill (through marriage) [♀]
Stella de'Borgia [♀]

Allegra Starr [♀]
Daelen Starr [♂]


Knights
Morgan[♂]
Nuria Tempest [♀]

Peasants
Marcel de la Torre [♂]
Antonia Tempest [♀]

Form

Code: Select all

    [b]Username:[/b]
    [b]Character Name:[/b]
    [b]Age:[/b]
    [b]Eye Colour:[/b]
    [b]Hair Colour:[/b]
    [b]Clothing:[/b]
    [b]Height:[/b]
    [b]Other Looks:[/b]
    [b]History/Background Info:[/b]
    [b]Personality:[/b]
    [b]Status in Kingdom:[/b]
    [b]Other:[/b]

[Cloudsong]

Username: Cloudgypsy
Character Name: Marcel de la Torre
Age: 19
Eye Colour: A brilliant bright blue.
Hair Colour: Marcel has blonde hair, and it is long-ish, but makes him look very handsome. (;
Clothing: The normal clothes of a commoner, except for the hat. He kept his old hat from back when he was at sea, and despite what people say about how tacky and ugly it is, he keeps it on at all times.
Height: 6'1.
Other Looks: Marcel was always a very cute boy, but in the last years that he spent out at sea he changed drastically. He now looks like a young man, and is exceptionally handsome, his features being very attractive, and causing him a lot of unwanted looks from every girl that passes his way.
History/Background Info:

Marcel was born into a family of one person; his mother, who constantly reminded him with spite that he had been nothing more than an accident. She was a common prostitute of the city Barcelona, Spain, and of course Marcel had been an unwanted accident. Naturally, this ruined her job chances, having to care for a child, and she never felt any affection or love for him, and he grew up feeling unwanted... uncared for. When he reached the age of eight, he left, unable to take it anymore. Some pirates picked him up off the coast, where he was looking for work, and he became one of them, though never as vulgar and brutal. He kept the manners he had learned from watching the higher class people back in Spain. Back then he thought of himself as unwanted trash, and for that reason he struggled as hard as he could to keep up with the men on the ships. After a few years he got the men to accept him, and respect him in a way.

He had thought for a long time there that his life would be nothing more than that. Traveling the Europe seas, watching as his fellow crew-mates would thieve when they would stop at coasts, and watched them mistreating women. Disgusted by all of this, and reminded in a way of his childhood, he realized that this wasn't a lifetime that he could live with. When he spied Elton and Kateliana with their two children, he took his chance to go back with them to the city, wanting a new start. However, once he reached the kingdom, he realized that he was starting from scratch, under the eyes of people who were just waiting for him to mess up for a good reason to kick him out of the kingdom forever. When a man came to him offering a large bag of gold in return for him to steal something, he stupidly accepted, being caught and imprisoned. His loyal friends, Allegra and Daelen saved his life, and once he was out of the castle, he found the man who had gotten him into the trouble, and returned the money.

The years passed, and Marcel and the twins drifted further and further apart. He got work in a book store in the center of the city, and slowly became accepted by society. It's been five years since he met Allegra and Daelen, and though they see each other little, he still considers them - both of them, the most important people in his life.

Personality: Though life was harsh to him, Marcel never lost the goodness and compassion in his heart. He treats people as well as he can, and attempts to help people if they need his aid. Whenever he speaks, his sincere goodness just shows. His personality along with his good looks has gotten him many women falling in love with him.
Status in Kingdom: Peasant, former pirate.
Other: He is from Spain, and speaks still with a heavy Spanish accent. x3

-

Username: Cloud
Character Name: Stella de'Borgia
Age: 5
Eye Colour: Dark blue. Almost black, though in the sunlight blue is visible.
Hair Colour: Black, like her father's hair.
Clothing: Usually extravagant dresses, as any princess would wear.
Height: 3'5
Other Looks: She is extremely cute, and though she inherited her father's hair color, she looks very similar to her mother.
History/Background Info:
Stella's name, meaning star in Italian, was given to her because of the happiness it brought upon the king and queen. Having tried, they hadn't been able to have a child for a long time, until finally Stella came along.
Personality: Still being molded.
Status in Kingdom: Princess
Other: None

-

Username:
Character Name: Antonia Tempest
Age: 19
Eye Colour: Dilute green, almost brown.
Hair Colour: Auburn hair.
Clothing: Simple dresses, as she is a peasant.
Height: 5'8
Other Looks: She has tan skin, unlike her sister, and wavy hair. Her nose is sprinkled with freckles, and she has a slightly chubbier body than her sister. Though she isn't exactly stunning, she has an honest face, and very expressive eyes.
History/Background Info:
Antonia and her sister Nuria came from a village not far from Fortuna, where they both grew up knowing that they would succeed. Nuria, being the older one, was bolder and more of a dreamer, whereas Antonia was more practical. While her sister spent all of her time training and training with her sword, she excelled in literature, learning to read and write, and pursuing a career she thought more promising than her sister's dream of becoming a knight. She became a teacher, and soon moved to Fortuna, where she teaches children, and anyone who is interested in learning. Her uncle owns the book shop that Marcel works at, and the two spend very much time together, both living upstairs of the shop.
Personality: An honestly good person, though insecure.
Status in Kingdom: School teacher.
Other:

Username: Cloud
Character Name: Enigma Velius
Age: 17.
Eye Colour: A very dark brown, almost black. Click. She always wears a lot of black eyeliner, and thick mascara.
Hair Colour: Long dark brown hair that covers one of her eyes. It has very dark, natural faint red streaks in it. Sort of like this, but not such visible red.
Clothing: Since her title is high, she wears royal gowns, though always insists that they be black, or dark crimson. Bright colors look horrendous on her, and when forced to wear pink she complains that she looks like a flower. Around her neck usually she has a black or red ribbon tied, as it has in the picture.
Height: 5'6
Other Looks: She has very pale skin, and usually her eyes are narrowed, with a hostile look on her face; it's her way of protecting herself from being hurt by others, and to keep them away from her.
History/Background Info: Enigma's father, a very rich merchant and duke of Venice, had met her mother at a bar. She always remembered the day that she had discovered this; it was on a night when the man was very drunk, which was never very surprising to her; he was more often drunk than sober. She had been seven, and had asked her the two things she had always wondered about; her mother, and her secret. He had always made it very clear to her that she was to not tell anyone of it, and she had always agreed to this, but was still curious. As she asked him who her mother was, he had gotten very watery eyes, and had said dreamily; 'you are just like her. Both of you had the same problem.' He had then proceeded to tell her that her mother had also been able to transform into an animal, and that being a shape-shifter meant that she would have a very short life, as it was like a disease that ate away at the body's system like cancer.

The only memories she had of her mother were very faint, as she died when she had been 4. Her life had been completed too soon - 34. Engima remembered the last memory of her mother holding her in her arms, crying silently as she realized what she had done to the child. Reproducing was just convicting another soul to this life-sentence.

As soon as she realized what was bound to happen in only a few years, Enigma felt scared. She knew that in ten years she could be dead, and that in a few years after that, no one would remember her. It felt so unfair to her, and for that reason she kept herself isolated from anyone, creating a barrier around her that she wouldn't let anyone pass. It wouldn't be fair for anyone to get attached to her; it would only cause them pain.

Shape-shifters: Their life expectancy is only 25-40 years. Anywhere in between there. They pass the genes onto their children, and it first cropped up as a recessive gene, though grew until it would cancel out any of the other side, taking control of their systems, and eating away at it. They can only shift into one animal. Near the end of the lives (a year or so before they die), they become very weak, and it becomes hard for them to do normal activities. It is common for people with this condition to have defects in their appearances, such as colored hair, an extra finger, or in some rare cases, a tail.
Many people after discovering their fate shifted into their animal and stayed that way, finding it easier to cope. The condition is very rare.
Personality: Enigma is very bitter about her life. Until she discovered why she had become that way, she was the sweetest girl; caring, giving, and a perfect friend to all. She had always been able to transform, though was unsure of what the consequences were in the long run. But all of that changed when she learned the truth, and she lost all of her friends, leaving herself in solitude, traveling with her father whenever he left. She found it easier to live if she changed scenery often, as then the chances were smaller of someone getting attached to her. After all, she owed it to herself to keep people away. Not anyone else deserved to suffer as she was.
Status in Kingdom: Daughter of a duke in Venice. He owns a palace there, but they usually spend time out of the house traveling, as he is also a very successful merchant.
Other: Her animal is a thin black cat with yellow eyes, and she spends much time in that form.

[Captain Kaycee]

Username: ~Kaycee~
Character Name: Daelen Starr
Age: 18
Eye Colour: A dark brown.
Hair Colour: Dark brown. His length goes over his eyes, making him look much like his father once was.
Clothing: He usually wears the normal knight uniform with a red cape dragging behind him and chainmail that goes over his entire body under the neck. He has the normal armour as any knight would. However, he uses his father's sword as a constant reminder to the hero he was to the kingdom.
Height: 6' 2''
Other Looks: He is practically a spitting image of his father, looking much similar to him in his young adult years. He is usually hit on by the noble girls of the castle, however he pays little attention to them as he believes that his duty is to the kingdom.
History/Background Info: After the death of his father, he stepped up in the kingdom and worked hard to gain the respect of both the king and the kingdom itself. He trained hard with other knights to learn of their skills, as well as using a few tricks up his sleeves that he learned from his father before he died. He began to think of Alexander as his own father, and even began to believe that he would be the next heir since he was the only male in the family. But then, his dream of becoming king was shattered at the birth of Stella. Since then he has continued to prove himself that he is fit to be king, and believes that it would be better to have him be the sole heir as Stella is not a male and she is much too young.
Personality: Daelen has a strong heart in believing in himself and thinking that he needs to be stronger than everyone else in order to become king. Because of this, he only pays attention to women at certain times with other knights, but in his heart he is fully determined to be the ruler of Fortuna. He is compassionate about people close to him, however, and will fight to save their lives.
Status in Kingdom: Prince/Knight
Other: He is Allegra's twin brother.

Username: ~Kaycee~
Character Name: Allegra Starr
Age: 18
Eye Colour: A light sapphire blue, that looks more like grey as she aged.
Hair Colour: Long, light brown wavy hair that goes down to about her mid-back.
Clothing: She normally wears a long dark blue dress with several elegant silver linings on it as well that makes her looks beautiful. It is the fashion of a princess.
Height: 5' 7''
Other Looks: Her overall appearence makes her look like her mother, however she has much lighter hair and her eyes are brighter as well.
History/Background Info: Allegra, like her mother, was heart-broken when her father died. She mourned for nearly a year before finally stepping in with her brother to help out the kingdom. She learned to use her powers through the book that Kateliana had given to her, and became one of the best mages in the entire kingdom. Since then she has helped treat majour wounds in the kingdom, thinking that it would be doing her a good deed as she wasn't able to save her father when he died.
She has all but forgotten about Marcel since she has begun to have more duties in the kingdom, and has few friends in the castle. She thinks that the noble girls of the kingdom are much too snobbish for her, as she enjoys being free to roam around without having to act too proper.
Personality: Allegra is a kind and courageous woman, always doing the right thing without having anybody to ask her. She is somewhat of a feminist when it comes to the other girls of the kingdom, thinking that they act more like dolls than actual humans. She listens to people say how she has natural beauty like her mother, but doesn't pay much attention to it since she doesn't want to end up like the noble girls.
Status in Kingdom: Princess/Mage
Other: She is Daelen's twin sister.

(These two are simply minor characters, and will only be present in certain scenes.)

Username: ~Kaycee~
Character Name: Kateliana de' Borgia
Age: 32
Eye Colour: Sapphire blue.
Hair Colour: Long brown hair that goes down her waist.
Clothing: Ever since her husband's death, she wears elegant black dresses with gold trimming. She still looks very much like a princess, but more dark and depressing than she used to be.
Height: 5' 7''
Other Looks: She looks much older than she once was, with some of her once-beautiful features now starting to fade away.
History/Background Info: Since Elton's death, Kateliana has practically shut herself away from the world. She stopped speaking to visitors of the kingdom, and instead simply kneels by her bed all day with her hands folded like she is praying. It has only been recently that she has left her room to speak to people in the kingdom. However her tone is much more dark and her once-beautiful smile has been replaced with a sorrowful face. She watched her kids grow up to how they turned out to be today, and finally started to act her normal position as the king's sister.
Personality: Kateliana is an independent woman, always wanting to do what she wants rather than others. She is always humble and giving to most people that she meets. Nowadays, her once cheerful and determined spirit has disappeared into a sorrowful and mourning state.
Status in Kingdom: Princess
Other: She is Alexander's younger sister.

Username: ~Kaycee~
Character Name: Alexander de'Borgia
Age: 39
Eye Colour: He has heterochromia, and his left eye is blue while his right eye is brown.
Hair Colour: Jet black, however it now has several grey hairs. His hair is a bit longer and goes down just above his eyes.
Clothing: He wears a large golden crown over his head. His clothing consists of the highest knight attire, with a red cloak.
Height: 6' 2''
Other Looks: He has grown some facial hair around his jawbone and lips, although it looks like small hairs rather than a large beard.
History/Background Info: Elton has been in the best years of his life since the coronation of him and Noel as the king and queen of Fortuna. He was almost afraid that he wouldn't have an heir after a few years of being king, so he began to train Daelen in the ways of being a leader. But then as his child Stella was born, he practically stopped talking with Daelen about king duties, making the boy begin to think that he would have to prove himself. He is growing older with age, although the kingdom still loves him as a king since they prosper more than they ever have.
Personality: Alexander is a natural-born leader, always doing what is right for the kingdom and his family. He is practically devoted to his wife and child, wanting to keep them in his life more than anything. He is passionate about his position and continues to work hard in order to maintain the peace and tranquility that Fortuna has prospered since Elton's death.
Status in Kingdom: King
Other: He is Kateliana's older brother.

Username: ~Kaycee~
Character Name: Captain Arthur Angelo
Age: 21
Eye Colour: A bright green like the colour of emeralds.
Hair Colour: A bright blonde. His hair is usually messy and goes over his eyes like this.
Clothing: He wears a long red pirate coat that had gold embroidery around certain areas to make himself look much more fashionable than a regular pirate. He wears a large black pirate hat with a white feather than sticks out from the back. It looks similar to this outfit.
Height: 5' 9''
Other Looks: He is actually quite handsome and is one of the more fashionable pirates in the seas.
History/Background Info: He was born and raised in the United Kingdom, hence the heavy British accent that he has acquired. Both his parents were in the rich class of people, but one day when Arthur was 13 his parents were persecuted to having relations with the Black Market in America. Both of his parents went to court, where they both were tried. Eventually the jury came to a guilty conclusion, thus giving them the sentence to the gallows. He watched from the shadows of his parents being hung in a square in London, and was living on the streets. One day when Arthur was about 15, a man had came to his old house and found Arthur leaning against the old mansion. The man had in fact told the young man that he inherited all of his parent's money, making him one of the richest men in the country. He bought himself a ship and gathered a crew at the age of 18, learning how to sail the seas and eventually becoming one of the most well-known travellers in the world. Unfortunately at 20 years of age, he decided to go into piracy as his parents once did, and became known as the dreaded Captain Angelo. He currently sails around the Atlantic, Caribbean, and occasionally the Mediterranean in his large English ship, Queen Victoria.
Personality: Arthur is is a fanciful, blunt, obstinate pirate who claims to be a gentleman, however he is cynical, sharp-tongued, and prone to rough speech. He often uses British vocabulary, such as 'bloody' and 'git'. He is horrible at cooking, and usually lets the cooks on his ship do the cooking. He does not know how to express himself, leading to others often misunderstanding him. He is also self-deprecating. Despite his cynical, realistic view on the world, he is said to be a romanticist. When drunk, his personality will change from that of a gentleman to a bitter and violent delinquent.
Status in Kingdom: Pirate Captain
Other: He waves both a Union Jack and a Skull and Crossbones flag on his ship, Queen Victoria.

[Cloudsong]

(Great! Love your forms ^^ )

A long sigh escaped from the man sitting comfortably behind the counter. His blonde hair was ruffled and messy, and his eyes closed as he idly tapped his fingers on the desk as he allowed his mind wander. It had been a slow day in the shop, and only a few had even spared themselves to walk in, most leaving open-handedly. Most had been girls coming in just to see him, to which he had tried to politely shoo off. What made matters worse was that he had been alone most of the day, and still being quite clueless about reading, which was ironic as he did work in the only shop that contained old books. Antonia, the one person who knew of his secret, had taken it upon herself to teach him, spending every moment they had alone together teaching him the art of literature. Although he was intelligent, and eager to learn, most of the lessons would end with them talking about something else, or both of them laughing quite hard. Since she spent most of her hours away from the shop teaching others, they hadn't had their lesson for the day, and Marcel found himself missing it quite a lot. And her; she could always make him laugh, and brighten the last slow hours of the day before they were allowed to leave.

The bell rang at the top of the door, and Marcel instantly became alert once more, turning around to see who had entered. A smile lighted his lips as he saw Antonia there, laden with what appeared to be very heavy books. Being the gentleman he always was, he instantly strode over and took them out of her arms, carrying them over to the desk for her. "You were gone all day," he commented as he set them down, turning around and raising an eyebrow in mock accusation. "Should I be worried as to where you have been?"

Antonia rolled her eyes as she stretched, yawning. Silently she slipped into the chair next to the desk where he sat upon, and shrugged. "You know where I was, silly. I was teaching." Her eyes softened slightly, and she grinned. "I should have stopped by earlier, sorry... But you seem to be handling things pretty well on your own." Her tone was impressed.

He launched into a very detailed explanation of what had happened that day, including the man who had came in to return the book he had bought previously, though not mentioning the group of giggling girls who had entered to try and flirt with him. Perhaps it would annoy her, for he had seen her stiffen before when it would happen in front of her when they were out on the street. It had occurred to him that Antonia thought of him as more of a friend, and it was for that reason that he wouldn't like to mention girls, or saying anything about relationships. He wasn't sure of his feelings for her were yet, and would never delude her with false ideas that he would never be true to. Though they spent hours together, he sometimes wondered why he would one day have to change that. They were fine the way they were, and the affections he felt towards her weren't more than he felt for anyone else that was his friend.

When he had finished her tail, she was giggling already, which caused him to raise an eyebrow. "What?" he asked, crossing his arms as he leaned closer, waiting impatiently for a reply.

"Oh, nothing..." Her tone hinted that it was obviously something, and she continued to laugh. "I've known you for four years now, and I still can't get used to your accent." She was grinning so much that he knew that she meant it as a good thing.

But he still frowned. "What, I don't sound Italiano enough for you?" he asked, turning his head away, as if he were offended. This caused more laughter, and he shrugged, standing up and silently walking towards the back of the store, where he slipped his coat on. She followed, watching curiously as he put his bag around his neck.

"Going somewhere?" she asked casually, raising an eyebrow.

He nodded, and glanced outside, seeing that the other shops were closing as well. "Well you see... At this time each day we do generally close..."

"That doesn't explain where you're going," Antonia said, her eyes bright as she watched him exageratedly roll his eyes, as if what she said were so ridiculous.

"I am going up to the palace," he said finally, tipping his hat to her as he strode past, winking.

"You? But why?" She seemed even more intrigued as she followed him to the door, watching as he struggled to button up his worn coat, which was a leather brown, matching his hat. The buttons were almost falling off.

"Why of course.. It is the twins' birthday, and I want to go and see them."

Antonia's mouth formed an o shape as she nodded, understanding. "But you haven't seen them in months.. Are you sure it's wise?"

Marcel hesitated, more because half of him saw that she was right. "Just because we don't see each other as much does not stop us from being friends," he told her, tone serious.

Before she could say anything more, he suggested; "Why don't you come with me?" His tone was bright as he reached over and took her hand, pulling her towards the door. "Then you can finally get to meet them, and see that I was right. They'll be happy to see me."

There was a long moment where Antonia looked thoughtful, biting her lip as she considered it. "I would feel out of place there," she said finally. "And your friends wouldn't want a stranger to be there when they reunite with you."

"You are definitely not a stranger," Marcel told her sternly. "I'm sure they would love to meet you, Antonia. And that could give you a chance to see your sister." The two would see each other very sparingly, as she would usually be busy with guard work, and Antonia with teaching.

Her eyes brightened at this, and she finally nodded. "I'll go and get my coat," she told him, disappearing into the back of the store, a bounce in her step. He could see that this had made her very happy, and it lightened his heart to think so.

Not a few minutes later she was out again, wearing a pale white jacket, and a matching hat upon her hair. She had obviously made an effort to look nice, as her hair was neater than it had been when she had walked in, and her eyes had been hastily, though neatly lined, causing her to look quite pretty. He offered her his arm, to which she blushed slightly, which surprised him. Never before had she done anything of the sort, and he quickly changed the subject to distract her from what had just happened. Truth be told, he was terrified, though in a way excited also, that she would try and take a step further towards him, or say something that would make the situation more awkward.


(Okay, first post! *squea* I had fun writing that... xD So there's a new character, and I'll use my old characters sometimes without writing a form for them for now. Perhaps later I'll make them too.)

[Captain Kaycee]

(Oh man. Sorry if mine doesn't actually end up being that long ._____.; )

A woman curiously walked the castle grounds, looking up at the blazing sun overhead. It was an unusually bright day for the city, most of the time it was either cloudy or only partially sunny. Instead, the sun was practically burning outside, and it was making the girl feel like she was going to get a sunburn. She could see several knights walk around the grounds, with each one saluting her as they passed by. She simply nodded in return, not feeling like she needed the greetings. In truth, they actually bothered her. She was a princess, yes, but that didn't give her any right to feel like she was special. She was a daughter of the actual princess of Fortuna, and not technically a part of the leading family. Alexander was the king, and she wasn't his daughter.

Suddenly a hand smacked her shoulder, causing her to jump and turn around with her hand in front of her. It was covered in a blue flame, however the fire didn't seem to be burning her at all. As she noticed who it was, the flame disappeared and she hugged him tightly. "Good morning, brother!" she greeted, letting go of him and tilting him and tilting her head while she smiled.

The man simply rolled his eyes, folding his arms across his chest and smirking. "Good morning to you too, Allegra," he mumbled, letting out a long yawn. Allegra noticed that he must have just woken up, since he was still in a simple red cotton shirt with boots and brown pants. His hair was fluffed up in several different places, making it look more like a bird nest than actual hair.

Allegra began to comb through his hair with her fingers, causing him to growl at her and back away, combing it with his fingers by himself. "Come on, Daelen! You should at least look a little appealing. It's our birthday, and we should at least look our best. I even put on makeup today for god's sake, so you should at least do your hair and put on your uniform or something!" she snapped at him, shaking her head in disbelief.

Daelen suddenly began to laugh, throwing his head back. "You're acting like it's the end of the world! Geez, I only woke up a half hour ago, and I just wanted to get some fresh air. But if you say so, Mother," he teased, walking off into the direction of the castle doors. "Hey! I'm only trying to help!" she screamed back at him, but he only lifted a hand up in return as if he didn't want to hear anymore.

Allegra threw up her hands and groaned, slamming them to her side and heading over to the stables. He's such a prat sometimes! And he says that he wants to be king? Hmph! She shook her head in disbelief and walked into the stables, seeing the familiar black friesian in the back. It was only recently that they figured out the horse would never age. Its previous owner, Hetake, had cast a spell on the horse to never age. Since then, the horse has always looked the same and always in shape. He was the fastest horse in all of Fortuna, and only a certain number of people could ride him. Kateliana hadn't ridden him since the battle years ago, giving Allegra the chance to ride the horse. Over the years she had grown a bond with him, allowing the horse to come with her anywhere in the city or outside the castle.

The woman placed a bridle over the horse's head and guided him outside, adjusting straps on various pieces of the saddle. She would only be gone for an hour, giving Daelen plenty of time to get ready and possibly train for a little while. Allegra wanted to go to the waterfall and pool of water that she had discovered back when she was around 14 years old. She was quite proud of her find, but when she tried to tell her mom she began to cry and turn away once more from her daughter. 'Elton and I went there when we were younger,' her mother had simply told her. At that moment Allegra knew to never talk about it again, and instead kept it as her little secret.

Allegra finished up tacking Kratos, and began to guide the horse down to the entrance of the castle while holding the reins. She was ready to get away for a little bit, as well as get a chance to use her powers a little bit since the castle was a dangerous place to use them. If she messed up once, then it would end in either a piece of the castle being destroyed, or a person getting hurt.

[Cloudsong]

As soon as they had gotten onto the stone pathway of the castle, Antonia began to lag behind, obviously seeming uncomfortable. It took Marcel a moment to realize that she wasn't walking beside him anymore, and he glanced back, surprise obviously showing in his eyes. "What is the matter, Antonia?" he asked her finally, allowing her to catch up as he waited, looking concerned as she didn't meet his gaze. "Are you all right?"

"Nothing is wrong," she said, sighing as she gave him a push towards the castle again, her tone saying otherwise of her words. "I'm just not sure this is a good idea." Again she shook her head, putting her hands into her pockets as she glanced over at him. "What if we aren't allowed in?" The mere thought of it seemed to terrify her, and he suppressed a sigh. She was always so scared of what others would think of her, and being denied to enter would make her low self-esteem plummet further down.

"Why would you say such a thing?" Marcel said, smiling slightly as he tried to cheer her up. "For one thing, you are the princess' teacher already, and the guards know who we are. They wouldn't think that we're a threat." In theory, anyone was allowed inside, though very few people actually attempted to enter. Though he cared much about her, her pessimistic thoughts were strong enough to effect anyone after enough time. "But if you really don't want to come in, I won't try and force you." He crossed his arms, glancing over towards the gate, slightly impatient to get on.

She seemed to consider this, then finally, she shook her head. "I'm coming," she declared, determination in her voice as she raised her head slightly higher, causing him to smile slightly.

He led the way again, aware that Antonia was a step behind, still casting nervous glances around at her surroundings. Choosing to ignore it, he turned his head to look inside, seeing a woman leading a familiar jet black horse down the pathway. Though she was a distance away, he instantly recognized her, although the change she had made in appearance was incredible. There were no guards at the gate, and so he put his hands on the bars, eyes bright as he watched her approaching. "Allegra!" he exclaimed, his tone a mixture of happiness and shock. She seemed so... grown up now. Marcel had always thought of the girl as much younger than him, but now... She had grown out her hair, and it was beautiful long and wavy. Her gray-blue eyes were more refined and obvious, and her whole body had become more lean, and... perfect. Instantly he felt guilty for having the thoughts, and directed his gaze to the horse, not wanting her to see that he had been staring.

[Captain Kaycee]

Allegra lifted her head from her work as she heard a familiar voice call out her name. She instantly turned around, and her eyes widened as she realised who it was. "Marcel!?" she gasped, dropping the reins of the horse and running up to her. Her arms wrapped around his neck as she pulled him into a hug, her breath shaky for an odd reason.

"I-I haven't seen you in so long!" she whispered, unwrapping her arms and stepping back once. She was amazed at how different he looked. She had always seen him as that little pirate boy who would sneak around the castle with her. Now... it was much different. He was a man, with his hair grown out and his body more muscular than she had last seen him. For a moment she simply took in his features, but then as she noticed that she was practically staring at him, her face flushed a bright pink and she turned around to look at Kratos.

"I was just about to go out riding," she muttered, whistling once for the horse to walk over to her. He gently nudged her shoulder, allowing Allegra to grab the reins. By then her face was back to normal, praying that he hadn't noticed. Even back when they were kids, she had liked his company. But they were simply children then. Nowadays, the feelings in her heart were much different, and if she didn't deny herself she would actually think that she liked him. Although, she would never admit it to herself.

Allegra glanced over to Antonia, bowing once in politeness. "Good morning, miss," she greeted, then glanced back up at Marcel. "Do you want to go on a trail ride? I was going to leave right now, but now that you're here we can catch up on old gossip," she asked, smiling brightly. It was rude of her not to neccessarily notice Antonia, but her mind was fully focused on Marcel.

[Cloudsong]

Marcel felt his heart warm as she rushed towards him, her arms instantly around his neck as she hugged him. He hugged her back, his eyes bright as he felt her quick breathing in his ears. All too fast, she released him, and he returned his hands to his side as he watched her look at him for a long moment, obviously startled by how different he looked. As she quickly looked back at the horse, he could tell that she was obviously trying to hide the blush that tinted her face, and so of course he pretended not to notice. Why was she embarrassed, though? "Too long," he agreed, a smile lighting his face as he watched how obviously emotional she was about seeing her again. A sudden wave of guilt swept through him as he realized that he should have come to visit before. It truly had been too long; at least half a year, if not more.

As she glanced over at Antonia, bowing slightly in a salute, he was suddenly reminded that the woman had been there with him. After seeing her, and how much she had changed, he had been momentarily distracted. Now that he looked at her, he could see that she obviously was looking more than uncomfortable; her cheeks were brick red, and her eyes were narrowed as she watched the two, and how close they were, even after they had embraced. He inwardly sighed as he realized that he had been ignoring her, and he knew that he should bring her in on the conversation.

But it wasn't necessary, as Antonia nodded, saying a cold: "Good morning," and nodding. "I'll be going now, Marcel. See you later."

Before he could say anything more, she had turned and stalked off into town, causing him to sigh, taking off his hat and running a hand through his blonde hair, feeling slightly guilty; he knew that it hadn't been his fault, as he had done nothing wrong that could have upset the woman.

As soon as he glanced over at Allegra again, however, the discomfort left him, and he found himself pushing Antonia's little tantrum out of his mind. His smile returned as she suggested they go on a trail ride, and he nodded. "I would love to," he replied, feeling his mind lighten with excitement. "Nadia is out in the field," he added hastily. His horse, which Elton had bought for him when they had gotten to Fortuna, was still in his posession, and though he had been through times of need, he would never have dreamed of selling the appaloosa mare. The man who owned the book shop also had horses, and had let him keep Nadia there.

[Captain Kaycee]

"Let's go get her then. My brother is too busy getting ready and training this morning. He acts like he can do whatever he wants! Sheesh, this morning he came out in his freaking pajamas and I was close to just swatting him over the head! Does he not even care that he's turning 18 today, and the king is supposed to award him something? He's so full of himself..." Allegra began to rant a little while she talked about her brother. She had practically acted like his mother since their real mother was grieving.

She grabbed Kratos' reins and looked down at the town from the hill that the castle was on. She glanced over at him, smiling brightly like she used to do when she was a kid. "You're so tall now," she muttered, looking up at him. "Now I feel short compared to you. But that doesn't mean I can't beat you in a swordfight, pirate boy," she mocked, giggling to herself.

Indeed, back when her father was alive she would train constantly with her brother to get better than him. Although Daelen would never admit it, Allegra was better at him when it came to swordfighting. She was much quicker than him, and her footwork was carefully balanced out to use quick, solid strikes. She could almost be a master swordsman, however she was a woman and wasn't allowed to be a knight or even use swords in the castle. Instead, she trained with herself in the forest, wanting nothing more than to fight against the best sword fighters in the kingdom.